Signatures of Ultralight Dark Matter in Neutrino Oscillation Experiments

TL;DR

This paper explores how neutrino oscillation experiments can detect ultralight bosonic dark matter through signatures like time modulations and probability distortions, providing a framework for experimental analysis.

Contribution

It identifies three distinct signatures of ultralight dark matter in neutrino oscillations and offers a model-independent method to analyze experimental data, exemplified with DUNE.

Findings

Future DUNE experiment can potentially detect ultralight scalar dark matter.

Three signatures identified: time modulation, probability distortion, fast matter effects.

Framework applicable to various neutrino oscillation experiments.

Abstract

We study how neutrino oscillations could probe the existence of ultralight bosonic dark matter. Three distinct signatures on neutrino oscillations are identified, depending on the mass of the dark matter and the specific experimental setup. These are time modulation signals, oscillation probability distortions due to fast modulations, and fast varying matter effects. We provide all the necessary information to perform a bottom-up, model-independent experimental analysis to probe such scenarios. Using the future DUNE experiment as an example, we estimate its sensitivity to ultralight scalar dark matter. Our results could be easily used by any other oscillation experiment.